february 5, 2021 - voice and viewpoint

February 5, 2021

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Publisher's Welcome

Dear Honored Guest,

We would like to extend our appreciation for your presence tonight as we continue the tradition of the Black Press here in San Diego as the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper. Tonight we celebrate 61 years of continuous service to the San Diego Community. This is also the year that the Black Press in America celebrates 194 years of publishing “our” story.

In the wake of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, many newspapers and businesses in America and in our own county have and are going out of business. Because of you and the niche market we serve for our African and African American communities, we are surviving, and on the verge of tremendous growth and innovation. In this age of "social media" and "fake news", we have always been a reliable source of information for and about “us”. We believe that, by connecting our paper to the digital opportunities available, we can continue to provide "the rest of the story" in print as we grow. We believe that the printed word, whether on paper or online, is still powerful.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we must remember that there was a time when we were not allowed to read. Today, so many of us often don’t bother to read. We must reignite our hunger for knowledge, and not forget that others are making plans that often are designed to change our realities. We must remember that we are still in a struggle for liberty, freedom and equality; and that all of us are yoked together, regardless of whether we acknowledge that fact.

Let us not forget that we need each other. We are committed to being the voice of those of us who can’t speak for themselves, and a partner to the leaders among us, ensuring our voices will be heard and that our presence will not be ignored. If you are silent when they come for others, there will be no one to speak out when they come for you.

Thank you for sharing your time with us and may God bless you in this new year.

Dr. John E. WarrenPUBLISHER, THE SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSPAPER

The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint 1

• PRESENTATION OF COLORS Buffalo Soldiers 9th & 10th Horse Cavalry Association San Diego Chapter

• BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM The Balm In Gilead “Lift Every Voice & Sing”

• INVOCATION Bishop Dr. William A. Benson

• MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES Latanya West – Managing Editor The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

• WELCOME Dr. John E. Warren – Publisher The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

• REMARKS MAYOR TODD GLORIA – City of San Diego

• PRESENTATION: WHY THE BLACK PRESS? Latanya West – Managing Editor The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

• ENTERTAINMENT Karen Briggs – Master Violinist & World Musician

UNSUNG HERO AWARDS

• Christine Henderson Pea

• Charles 3X Alexander

• Pauletta Cannon

• ENTERTAINMENT MIESHA “OCEAN” RICE-WILSON – Poet

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

• San Diego Hip Hop Health & Wellness 5K & Festival

• Paving Great Futures

• I Am My Brother’s Keeper

• Jacobs Center For Neighborhood Innovation

• San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency


LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

• Presented To: Dr. John E. Warren by the National Newspaper Publishers Association

GOOD SHEPHERD AWARD

• Bishop Dr. William Benson – Total Deliverance Worship Center

GERRI WARREN HUMANITARIAN AWARD

• Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. – Public Health Officer and Director of Public Health Services, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency


• CLOSING REMARKS Latanya West – Managing Editor The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

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Voice & Viewpoint Anniversary Gala Program Outline


SPECIAL THANKS TO M.A.N.D.A.T.E. RECORDS FOR PRODUCING AN OUTSTANDING SHOW

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About The Managing Editor

Since 2018, Latanya West has brought a unique set of skills to the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper as Managing Editor. She is a U.C. Berkeley graduate with a degree in Social Science with an emphasis in Media and Society. She earned a Masters Degree in Education from Nova Southeastern University after completing graduate level studies at Cal State LA. She spent a life-changing year in Greece as an American Foreign Service (AFS) exchange student and counts Greek as a second language.

She began her professional career in the entertainment industry with NBC Studios, contributing publicity and marketing collateral to national media campaigns for NBC Media Relations and KNBC News. In addition, she was an Assistant Talent Coordinator for NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show’ and the NAACP Image Awards.

Latanya taught elementary and middle school for 10 years in the Pasadena Unified School District. She later joined McGraw Hill Education as a curriculum sales consultant providing regional in-service curriculum trainings and sales presentations to teachers and school administrators across California, including the California State Board of Education’s Curriculum Adoption Committee.

In 2012 she established WestWordFlow, LLC as a commercial copywriting business, writing articles, grants, curriculum, workshops and marketing materials for select socially conscious businesses and nonprofits. Her clients have included San Diego State’s School of Social Work, San Francisco’s Department of Youth and Family Services, Rosetta Stone’s Lingual Learning, SAGE Publications, LA Parent Magazine, and the San Diego Training Center. She has a passion for service, and is a Board Member and former Executive Boardmember for the arts and education nonprofit, Playwrights Project. She contributed articles to the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint before agreeing to serve in a consulting role as Managing Editor in 2018. Latanya is honored to be Managing Editor, and is committed to ensuring that the community’s stories and voices are heard in a way that is appropriate, inspiring and deeply respectful of our rich heritage and enduring achievements now and into the future.

Latanya WestMANAGING EDITOR, THE SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSPAPER


Miesha “Ocean” Rice Wilson is a proud native of Charlotte, NC and currently resides in San Diego, CA . Her noted love for poetry, storytelling and humanity are widely recognized through her gift of Spoken Word. Her name “Ocean” represents the deep, heartfelt place within her soul, from which her spoken word artistry emerges.

Karen Briggs – took up the violin at age 12 and perfected her own signature sound over the years. She earned international recognition alongside Yanni, a Greek composer and musician, playing at the Taj Mahal and the Great Sphinx of Giza, to name a few. Karen is referred to as the “Lady In Red” for her fiery solos during her performance for “Live at the Acropolis” during her 13 year tenure with that group of musicians. As a solo artist her extraordinary versatility spans over a multitude of genres ranging from Gospel, Funk, R&B, Latin, New Age, Rock, Hip Hop, Middle Eastern and Jazz. Her distinguished career has taken her to prestigious places such as Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and with world renown artists Dave Grusin, Diana Ross, the Wu Tang Clan, En Vogue and Chaka Kahn. One of her most beloved supporters is Dr. John Warren.

Miesha “Ocean” Rice WilsonPOET

Karen BriggsVIOLINIST

EntertainmentSpecial Guests



UNSUNG HEROES (COV19) AWARD

Our community has always been filled with many deserving men and women who constantly give back. This year's battle with COVID-19 has only been different in the number of people, of all ages and colors, who have responded to the critical needs we have faced. All have done a great job. Those acknowledged this year represent the many who have given so tirelessly of themselves. “Thank You!”

UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Christine Henderson PeaEVANGELIST / COMMUNITY ACTIVIST HELPING THE LOST AT ALL COST

Evangelist Christine Pea started at 30th and Webster in 1983, giving out clothes and sandwiches out of the trunk of Sister Pecolia Bell’s car. She was compassionate and saw a need for prayer and assistance on the streets. Since then Sister Pea has continued with accepting donations of pretty much everything to take downtown to the homeless living on the streets and to distribute throughout the communities where she worked from 2010 to 2019.

Before Island/16th street was closed off to the public in late 2018 early 2019, Sister Pea would take home cooked meals directly to the streets. Lines of homeless adults, teens and some children would form every Tuesday and Friday for the hot chilli, greens, cornbread, fried chicken and anything else Sister Pea could squeeze into her car which was full of grandkids who would be there every week to assist. While the teenagers were helping pass out plates of food including dessert, the kids would help distribute the clothing Sister Pea had collected the weeks before.

Neighbors know Sister Pea as “Grandma or Ms. Chris.” They know whenever they need anything they can walk up to the door and either a box will already be prepared or Ms

Chris will make it and pack it full.

At The Community Spot on Ocean View, “Ms. Chris” handles the weekly food distributions with SD Hip Hop 5k and gives out clothing. There isn’t a season where you won’t find Mrs. Pea working to help improve the lives of everyone around her.

Mrs. Pea’s tributes and awards include a 2012 Special Mother’s Day Celebration Commendation from Council President Anthony Young; a 2016 Humanitarian Award from We Care Ministry; a 2018 Award of Excellence from COGIC; and a 2019 Special Commendation from San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

SYCUAN.COM

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE

San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

61ST ANNIVERSARY GALA

Cox is proud to support the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint and applauds their commitment to being an

important voice in our community.


UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Charles 3X AlexanderDIRECTOR OF OUTREACH I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER

Charles 3X Alexander, a San Diego native, is the Director of Outreach for I Am My Brother’s Keeper. He is proudest of his two amazing children, Osiris and Chariah Alexander.

He considers them his greatest contribution to the world. His many years of service with community based organizations like The Compassion Project, Black Men United, Together We Build and co-founding Overcoming

Gangs has made his expertise and insight invaluable to the IAMBK Team. Currently he is responsible for the following initiatives: “Every Day is Mother’s Day,” mentoring and tutoring in our local elementary schools and a weekly food distribution program that is responsible for feeding families in need during the COVID-19 Pandemic. His leadership was instrumental in stopping the issuance of a liquor license in an area that was heavily saturated with liquor stores. In 2013 he led a petition at San Diego City Hall and established a summer food program for the community of Mount Hope. Subsequently, he was awarded an NAACP Unsung Heroes Award and the Urban League’s 40 under 40 Award. He has also been featured in two documentaries: MTV’s “Flipped” and a “Collaboration with the Students of Rancho Bernardo High School,”

that won first place and afforded the students admission to film school.

In February of 2016, Mr. Alexander was honored by San Diego Voice & Viewpoint with their Community Activist Award for his outstanding grassroots work throughout San Diego County. He recently produced his own documentary, “100 Reasons Why Black Women Should Accept The Black Man's Apology,” as well as a collaboration on a book entitled, “We Are Our Ancestors' Keepers,” that has been endorsed by many politicians, celebrities, NFL, MLB, and NBA players. The book was featured at Comic-Con in 2019 as well as being adopted by San Diego Unified School District in 2020.

We’re proud to be apart of The Voice &Viewpoint 2021 Gala

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THANK YOUto The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint and all of this

year’s honorees

for your continuing service to the community.

FFrom the Board and Staff of

Grantham Coleman in Hamlet, 2017. Photo by Jim Cox.


UDW IS PROUD TO SPONSOR

SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT’S

8TH ANNUALGALA

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Doug Moore - Executive Director

UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Pauletta CannonVOLUNTEER COORDINATOR STEPPING HIGHER FOOD PANTRY

Ms. Cannon has been a volunteer for the Stepping Higher Food Pantry for 5

years. She started as a volunteer and then began to see the need to place more of her personal time in assisting the community with resources. She then became the coordinator of all volunteers, as she felt that all people were important and special. She wanted to make sure that they had a great experience at the food pantry while they were enduring hard times in their lives. In 2020 Ms. Cannon rolled up her sleeves, as in March of 2020 all were surprised with COVID-19. The pantry went from 250 families two days a week to 700 families because of the unprecedented virus. There were people who were coming to the pantry who would never be in the line in normal circumstances. The pantry

went from 12,000 pounds of food a week to 28,000 pounds a week, and Ms. Cannon began to draft more volunteers and drivers. The need became great as the months went on. Ms. Cannon has never missed a day in nine months, nor have the food pantry doors been closed, no matter how demanding the work got or how long the lines were. Ms. Cannon and her team adopted all of the social distancing practices and wore all of the PPE gears that were changing from day to day in the early months of the virus. Stepping Higher Food Pantry would like to take this time to thank Ms. Cannon and her team for all of the hard work and the passion that they had for the community.

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Thank You to Our Individual Donors!

• Sistercirle• Helen Edwards• Lorise Diamond• Carl Rainey• Tilisha Martin• Rhonda Phillips• Dwayne Hill• Milena Phillips• Dorothy Smith• Anahid Brakke• Lt. Ben Kelso• Monica Ball• Florence Trent• Planned Parenthood• Congressman Juan Vargas

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Our Story A Brief History of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint Newspaper is an award winning newspaper that reaches, informs and motivates its readers, and has a distinguished record of public service and immeasurable

contributions to the advancement of African-American communities in San Diego County.

Established by Dr. Al Graham in 1960, the original San Diego Voice was acquired by the Chula Vista Star News after one year of operation and then, in the late 1960s it was sold to Mr. Earl Davis who created The

San Diego Voice & Viewpoint. Mr. Davis and his family operated The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint from 1969 to 1985, when Davis sold the newspaper to Mr. William Thompson, a local developer,

businessman, and civic leader. Upon Thompson’s death, the newspaper was purchased by Warren Communications, Inc. a California business corporation operated by Dr. and Mrs. John and Gerri Warren.

The Warrens, like the Davis family, treated The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint as a family project and made an early decision to make the newspaper inclusive of San Diego’s African American communities. Throughout its history, The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint has evolved from a tabloid to a broadsheet format, and today, it publishes community, local, state, national, and international news affecting and

concerning African Americans and is lauded as San Diego’s largest African-American publication, reaching all 89 zip codes, seventeen cities and unincorporated areas. In its continual efforts to bring together the communities it serves, The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint Newspaper and its publishers contributed to the creation of the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Gold Coast Classic Annual events.

The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint is a respected voice in San Diego’s African-American communities and a valuable supporter of community projects and programs, and has maintained

its reputation for adhering to and never compromising the principles of journalism.

“A People Without a Voice Cannot be Heard”

The Warrens’ acquisition of the Voice & Viewpoint in 1987



San Diego Hip Hop Health & Wellness 5k & Festival“SD Hip Hop 5k made the conscious decision during the COVID-19 crisis to join the solution relating to food disparities and social inequalities in our community. Our annual event became a full time mission dedicated to serve the underserved with a smile. Each day that our volunteers come out to serve the community there is a health risk many aren’t willing to make. God bless the families who have lost someone during the pandemic.”- Carleton Overstreet Jr. (Chairman/SD Hip Hop5k)

San Diego Hip Hop Health and Wellness 5k and Festival (SD Hip Hop 5k) was created in 2015 by Dawud Hasan and Terrell Rackley. Currently, under the leadership of co-chairmen Carleton Overstreet Jr. and Maurice Johnson the COVID 19 pandemic has readjusted its role to serve the community with free meal distributions, virtual socially distant 5k’s and educational webinars. With over 300,000 free meals served during the

pandemic, this collective has proven “Team work makes the dream work!”

PURPOSE: To help shift the cultural narrative in our community to one of health and wellness by showcasing them in a familiar and palatable way.

MISSION STATEMENT: The SD Hip Hop 5k and Festival is determined to bring unity, health, wellness and positive cultural change to communities in San Diego County and abroad.

We accomplish this by utilizing the culture of hip hop as a vehicle that brings health and total wellness to the forefront as an important investment in life.

Our goal is to unify local businesses, families, schools, places of worship and community leaders in an event that encourages healthy lifestyle changes in mind and body. The Hip

Hop 5K tackles wellness on all levels including mental health, physical health and financial health. This event is designed to simply help make wellness a cool thing while encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to strive for greatness together in a peaceful and productive way.

MEMBERS:

Carleton Overstreet Jr. (Co-Chairman)Maurice Johnson (Co-Chairman)Terrell Rackley (Co-Founder)Dawud Hasan (Co-Founder)Debra Portee (Race Director)Kristina Buckner (Business Administration)Erica Robinson (Volunteer Coordinator/Business Administration)Kayelle McConnell (Support)Jarod Stutts (Support)Cee Jay (Support)Kim Phillips-Pea (Southeast Art Team)


The Organizational Service Award is given to organizations that continuously give back to the community through servitude and programming that enriches the lives of those they come in contact with. This year’s award goes to five organizations on the front line of continuous service to our communities during this time of COVID-19 crisis. Their services have been consistent and life saving in all aspects.



Paving Great FuturesPaving Great Futures (PGF) was founded in 2012 by Barry Harris Jr., Armand King, and Jay Bowser, three San Diego natives who grew up in impoverished and gang-afflicted areas of the city. As adults with developed professional careers, they came together with a shared desire to help members of San Diego's underserved and at-risk populations become socially stable and self-sufficient.

PGF's purpose is to improve the health, safety, and stability of both communities and individuals through efforts to reintegrate at-risk populations of young people (age 13-30), which includes substance abusers,

victims of human sex trafficking, current and former gang members, and the formerly incarcerated.

To this end, PGF leadership has identified six core competencies that are important to personal development: entrepreneurship, job readiness, financial literacy, responsible life skills, community service, and civic engagement. Centered around these competency areas, PGF programs help break the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty, crime, and violence afflicting San Diego's minority communities by providing wraparound services, such as one-on-one mentoring, specific job training, social rehabilitation, and housing assistance. During the COVID-19 crisis, their relief efforts have included deliveries and distribution of food packages, PPE, and hygiene packages to thousands of families and seniors throughout the County.



I Am My Brother's KeeperI Am My Brother's Keeper CDC, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. Since its inception nearly twenty years ago, IAMBK has provided resources, life skills, and employment training - focusing on the burgeoning green industry - to San Diego citizens, regardless to creed, class, or color. Under the bold and innovative leadership of Student Minister Abdul Waliullah “Hugh” Muhammad, IAMBK has been well known for drawing attention to, and addressing the many socioeconomic impediments to wellness – mental, physical, and spiritual. IAMBK has sponsored and spearheaded programs, with like-minded community partners, that train and educate community members in valuable life skills, with an emphasis on environmental literacy related occupations. This approach has not only resulted in many new employees in the solar installation industry, but also reinforces practices

of sustainability, resulting in a healthier environment for all. Student Minister Muhammad’s role on various task forces and advisory groups that deal with destructive disparities in the community – health care access, criminal justice reform, housing affordability, to name a few – as well as his background as a successful business owner - are factors in his keeping a trained and watchful eye on issues threatening community wellness.

In an extraordinary chain of events, in March 2020 Student Minister Muhammad redirected IAMBKCDC’s day to day activities to providing community support surrounding the critical issue of food insecurity, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns. He immediately sought out collaborative partners such as Paving Great Futures, Muhammad Mosque No. 8, and RBW Security – and began to develop an impressive team of staff and volunteers. Astonishingly,

by April 2020, IAMBKCDC was at the forefront of a weekly food distribution at the Jacobs Center on Tuesdays - which quickly morphed to include home delivery to seniors and disabled, a distribution on Fridays to members of the Filipino Senior Center in Bay Terraces, a food distribution at our location in Encanto, community PPE issuance, and other special distributions requested by elected officials, churches, and others. Named host and operator of a new Southeast Food Super Pantry, along with collaborative partners, Paving Great Futures, IAMBKCDC directly services over 4,500 households (approximately 15,000 individuals) every month with much needed food and PPE, via mobile and walk-up distributions.

I Am My Brother’s Keeper CDC strives to be the embodiment of its motto:

“Our Community, Our Responsibility…Building a Brighter Future”



Jacobs Center For Neighborhood Innovation

The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation is driving economic activity that attracts and retains businesses and talent to support a more inclusive economy for all residents. It’s goal is to foster resident-owned businesses that are connected to and profiting from the region’s prosperity, bringing start-up and scale-up opportunities to small businesses and local entrepreneurs, especially young entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color, as well as job opportunities.

Through partnerships with academic institutions and community organizations, The Jacobs Center is creating systemic changes that provide increased opportunities for local residents who have been largely left out of the economic growth and prosperity seen elsewhere in the city.

Mr. Reginald Jones, president and

chief executive officer of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and the Jacobs Family Foundation, is accepting tonight’s award on behalf of the Jacobs Center. Overseeing the organization’s mission and goals since 2012, Jones leads efforts to develop enduring partnerships that create equitable, community-driven change in Southeastern San Diego, focusing on physical development and economic opportunity. He works with culturally diverse residents, organizations, political leaders and private entities to foster understanding of the organization’s intent, seek input and build collaboration for ambitious neighborhood revitalization efforts. Current projects include CONNECT ALL @ the Jacobs Center, the region’s first low to moderate income and diversity-focused business accelerator program.

Prior to his work in San Diego, Jones served as president of the Chicago-based Steans Family Foundation, a philanthropy committed to revitalizing North Lawndale, a disinvested community on Chicago’s west side.

Jones’ leadership in philanthropy extends to serving as a board member

for the Museum of Photographic Arts, advisory board member for Mainly Mozart and trustee with the Steans Family Foundation. He has served on the board of the Council on Foundations and the Lake County (Illinois) Community Foundation.

Jones is a frequent presenter on topics of philanthropy and placed-based driven approaches for community change. He is currently an Aspen Institute-Neighborhood Funders Group Philanthropy Forward Fellow.

Reginald JonesPRESIDENT AND CEO, JACOBS CENTER

FOR NEIGHBORHOOD INNOVATION AND THE JACOBS FAMILY FOUNDATION



County of San Diego Health & Human Services AgencyThe Health and Human Services Agency, under the direction of HHSA Agency Director, Nick Macchione, provides a broad range of health and social services to promote wellness, self-sufficiency, and a better quality of life for individuals and families in San Diego County. The Agency integrates health and social services through a unified service-delivery system that is family focused and community-based. Services are delivered in a cost-effective and outcome-driven fashion, and support Live Well San Diego. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the County of San Diego has worked closely with federal and state agencies and the local healthcare community to monitor and test for the COVID-19 virus in the region, ensuring COVID-19 resources and information are both equitable and accessible to all.

Mr. Macchione, “Wellness Warrior, leading with Purpose, Passion, and Performance using Public-Private Partnerships to improve the Public Good”, is accepting tonight’s award on behalf of the Agency. Nick Macchione has served as Director of HHSA since 2008. He has over 30 years of clinical and executive experience leading and managing large, complex service delivery systems in various settings in the New York metropolitan area and San Diego County.

He joined HHSA in 1997 as Deputy Director for the North Coastal, North Inland and North Central regions of the County. Today, the agency he leads serves 1.1 million clients with health, housing and human services through a workforce of 7,000 employees, 350 contracted organizations, 168 citizen advisory boards and a $2.6 billion annual budget. Nick also leads the development of “Live Well San Diego,” a large-scale, social movement focused on improving life expectancy and social well-being throughout the county so that all San Diegans have the opportunity to be healthy, safe and thriving.

In May 2020, Macchione added the temporary assignment of main architect and director of the County’s COVID-19 T3 Strategy of Test, Trace and Treat. This large-scale population health-based strategy is using collaborative efforts to protect the public’s health against COVID-19, especially disproportionately impacted communities. In recent months, his duties have included leading the rollout of equity-based, region-wide public COVID-19 vaccinations.

Nick Macchione, MS, MPH, FACHE

AGENCY DIRECTOR

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTED TO: Dr. John E. Warren by the National Newspaper Publishers Association

Dr. John E. WarrenABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Dr. Warren is President of Warren Communications, Inc., an African American owned media group with community newspapers on the East and West Coast. He serves as Publisher of the 61 year old San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Community Newspaper covering zip codes in San Diego County as a llegally adjudicated, paid weekly publication. He is past Co-Publisher of the Florida Tribune Community Newspaper which served three counties in South Central Florida for over 15 years. He is a noted journalist in the San Diego community where he was a weekly commentator on the local NPR PBS station for almost a decade. He is a member and past Director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association and a member of the California Newspaper Publisher Association; a past member of the National Bar Association, past member of the American Society for Public Administration and the original Conference of Minority Public Administrators. He is a past Vice President of the National Institute of Public Management, a non profit think group which provided public policy assistance to the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in the late 1970 '̇s. He is an ordained minister, co-founder and senior pastor of the Eagles Nest Christian

Worship Center in San Diego, California.

Dr. Warren has an extensive career in public service. He spent 12 years with three noted African American members of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives. First as an Assistant to the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. of New York during his Chairmanship of the House Education and Labor Committee. Later he worked as an Assistant to the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm of New York, and as a Legislative Assistant to the House Committee on Education and Labor where he was assigned to work with the Late Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins of California. He is the past Vice President of the National Institute of Public Management where he served as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities Policy Committees in the areas of Social Insurance and Income Security during the Carter Administration. He is the co-publisher of a 1978 article in Nation's Cities Magazine on crime in our cities.

Dr. Warren served eight years as an elected Member of the Washington, D.C. Board of Education and four years as an elected Director of the National School Boards Association

Dr. John E. Warren PUBLISHER

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with 90,000 plus members nationwide at the time. He served as an elected Delegate to the Democratic MidTerm Convention from Washington, D.C. during the Carter Presidency.

Born in Henderson, N.C., he grew up in Washington, D.C. where he attended public schools during the implementation of the the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court Decision desegregating public schools; he is a two time graduate of Howard University where he received his undergraduate degree followed by his Graduate Studies at the University of Southern California with an emphasis in Public Policy and Public Administration. He later returned to Howard University, where he graduated from the School of Law with an emphasis in Labor Law. He holds a lifetime teaching credential with the California Community College District; is both a Past Adjunct Professor at National University in California having taught at several campuses, and he is a Past Member of the National University Board of Trustees.

Dr. Warren is a past member of the National Bar Association and in his early years in California served as a Law Clerk to both the San Diego County

Counsel's Office and the City of San Diego's City Attorney's Office before becoming an adjunct professor at National University. There he created and taught their Government Contracts curriculum. He also taught in the areas of Public Policy and School Law and Finance. He is also a past member of the National University Board of Trustees.

Dr. Warren served his country in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of the Officers' Candidate School of Ft. Benning Georgia where he was commissioned as an Officer and holds an honorable discharge. He holds a Black Belt in the Martial Arts, and a vast number of awards from groups and organizations from all walks of life. He and his wife Dolores have 5 children; in order of their ages: Michael, Latanya, Shani Thai, Chida, and Charles; and 5 grandchildren. Both he and Dolores are actively engaged in writing their books and memoirs when not traveling.

Dr. John E. Warren PUBLISHER

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THE GOOD SHEPHERD AWARD

The Good Shepherd Award is given to local pastors in the community who exemplify leadership and true servant-hood. They give tirelessly to their congregants and the communities they serve.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD AWARD

Bishop Dr. William BensonTOTAL DELIVERANCE WORSHIP CENTER

Dr. Benson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the University of Grace and Truth, Masters of Divinity degree from the Five Fold Theological Seminary, Doctoral Degree in Divinity from the Five Fold Theological Seminary, an extension of San Diego State University, Ph.D. from the California University of Theology, and a Ph.D. from Aenon Bible College.

An ordained elder in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Dr. Benson is the Suffragan Bishop of Region One (San Diego). Dr. Benson serves as the first-ever chairman of the historic Southern California District Council.

In 2001, Dr. Benson heeded the call to the pastorate and established Total Deliverance Worship Center of the Apostolic Faith. Since then, Total Deliverance has outgrown every

edifice it has called home – one soul at a time. Total Deliverance operates in three locations, one of which is home to a thriving Spanish-language ministry rich with individuals thirsting for an encounter with a God.

Presently, Total Deliverance is centralizing its main operations at the site of its most recent and most significant acquisition, the historic Apostolic Church in Grant Hills, affectionately known for nearly a century as the “Home Church.”

Rooted in the belief that the church should be the heartbeat of every community, Dr. Benson founded Stepping Higher, Incorporated and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. A non-profit organization, it serves as a beacon within the greater San Diego community by offering a variety of professional services, including counseling, emergency housing, drug and alcohol treatment, a food distribution program that feeds thousands of individuals monthly, and much more.

In 2013, Dr. Benson and his wife, Dr. Rachelle Y. Benson opened a Bible-based University, American College & Theological Seminary International University (ACTS-IU), which offers Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. degrees across a host of disciplines.

Dr. Benson is the President of Pastors on Point San Diego, an organization comprised of Pastors of various denominations committed to working together to create a better quality of life for their communities and congregants.

Acclaimed author of the book, “Ingredients for a Blended Family,” Dr. Benson lives the life he teaches. He is married to the love of his life, Dr. Rachelle Y. Benson, with whom he enjoys working in ministry full time. Together, they are parents to two daughters and one son, grandparents to four grandchildren, and are an example of a blended family that works.



Gerri Warren, the late publisher of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper, was first a lover of people. She used her visionary abilities and entrepreneurship to always give back to this community and served it in many capacities. This award goes to the person who best embodies the spirit of Gerri Warren and her love for the community. This year's Humanitarian Award goes to Dr. Wilma J. Wooten for her global view of public health during a pandemic, in which she has saved and continues to save lives.


Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H.PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, SAN DIEGO COUNTY HHSA

Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. is the Public Health Officer and Director of Public Health Services in the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. She received both professional degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, followed by the completion of residency training at the Georgetown/Providence Hospital Family Practice Residency

Program in Washington, DC.

In 1989, she completed the joint San Diego State University (SDSU), Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH)/University of California San Diego (UCSD) Preventive Medicine Residency, with an emphasis in Sports Medicine. Dr. Wooten practiced medicine as a faculty member in the UCSD Department of Family and Preventive Medicine from 1990 to 2001. She remains a UCSD volunteer Associate Clinical Professor and is an Adjunct Professor at SDSU/GSPH.

She has been with the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency since 2001, initially as the Deputy Health Officer and now serves as the Public Health Officer since February

2007. She has a strong interest in health disparities and health equity. Dr. Wooten is a past Board member, and past president (2011-13), of the California Conference of Local Health Officers (CCLHO); current Board member, and past President (2013-15), of the Health Officers Association of California (HOAC); and past Board member (2009-2011) of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

Dr. Wooten is a current Board member of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) of Directors (2011-present), member of the Big Cities Health Coalition (2014-present), and past member of the Advisory Committee to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015-2019).

Congratulations for 61 yearsof continueddedication to

the community!

LIVEWELLSD.ORG

Learn more about the County of San Diego at sandiegocounty.gov

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Member FDIC. ©2019 U.S. Bank 219404c 7/19

We believe in celebrating today and rejoicing in the possibilities of tomorrow. That’s why U.S. Bank supports the events, holidays and festivals that bring our community together. Celebrating life’s special moments reminds us that the future is bright. usbank.com/communitypossible

When communities celebrate, so do we.

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U.S. Bank is proud to support the Voice & Viewpoint’s 60th Anniversary Gala.

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Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Historic Monument

EQUAL, ALL WILL STAND DIVIDED, ALL WILL FALL

Congratulations SD Voice and Viewpointon your 61st Anniversary!

Dolores Van Rensalier-Warren, Founder & President Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Foundation

HUNTOON VAN RENSALIERUNDERGROUND RAILROAD FOUNDATION

february 5, 2021 - voice and viewpoint

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